Material mixing and conveying apparatus

ABSTRACT

An endless conveyor of chain and paddle type is moved longitudinally of a trough member so as to travel in succession along a lower or material receiving section, an upwardly inclined or mixing section and a laterally extended delivery section. The materials supplied to the receiving station are conveyed to the mixing section where they are concurrently elevated and mixed due to the continuous falling downwardly from leading paddles of materials in excess of the conveying capacity of the paddles and the subsequent picking up of such materials by the paddles. The mixed materials are carried to the delivery section for distribution.

United States Patent 51 3,692,282 Niblo [451 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] MATERIAL MIXINGAND CONVEYING APPARATUS Harold D. Niblo, Redfield, Iowa 50233 Filed: July 15, 1970 Appl. No.2 55,134

Inventor:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1958 11/1968 ll/l930 10/1967 Peck ..99/404 Feterl ..259/4 Haines .259/4 Ryan ..259/l9 X Primary Examiner-Walter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Alan l. Cantor Attorney-Rudolph L. Lowell [57] ABSTRACT An endless conveyor of chain and paddle type is moved longitudinally of a trough member so as to travel in succession along a lower or material receiving section, an upwardly inclined or mixing section and a laterally extended delivery section. The materials supplied to the receiving station are conveyed to the mixing section where they are concurrently elevated and mixed due to the continuous falling downwardly from leading paddles of materials in excess of the conveying capacity of the paddles and the subsequent picking up of such materials by the paddles. The mixed materials are carried to the delivery section for distribution.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 19 m2 SHEET 1 BF 2 e r w w 5 w w W AW 0. 4 w P y 5 MATERIAL MIXING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of this invention provides for the efficient and economical mixing of a silage with grain and protein materials supplied directly in predetermined amounts to the apparatus. The materials are mixed concurrently with being elevated for discharge of the material mixture directly to a feed bunk conveyor or the like. Mixing of the materials during a feeding operation takes place continuously so as to make premixing and storing of the premixed material unnecessary. This continuity is especially desirable since it provides for the grain and proteins mixed directly with silage as it is being unloaded from a silo in amounts corresponding to the volume rate of flow at which the silage is unloaded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of this invention shown in assembly relation with a materials supply conveyor;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a detail end elevational view of an adjusting means for varying the mixing action;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view on line 4-4 in FIG. 3 showing the support means for a roller chain conveyor;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are detail sectional views taken along lines 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8, respectively, in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a foreshortened perspective view of a paddle member that forms a part of the roller-chain conveyor.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the mixing and conveying apparatus of this invention, generally designated as 15, is shown in an assembly relation with a materials supply station 16 and a mixed materials receiving conveyor 17. The materials supply station 16 includes a silo 18 for storing a silage material that is equipped with a bottom silage unloader (not shown) having an outlet 19 for discharging the silage directly into a belt type conveyor 21. A grain material such as corn is delivered through a conduit 22 from a suitable bin (not shown) for delivery into a corn weighing or measuring mechanism 23. Similarly, a feed supplement such as a protein product is delivered from a conduit 24 into a feed supplement weighing or measuring mechanism 26.

The materials measured in the mechanisms 23 and 26, on reaching a predetermined amount, are dumped directly onto the silage material being carried by the conveyor 21. The measuring of the corn and supplement materials is made in direct response to the amount or volume rate of flow of the silage that is carried on the conveyor 21. This volume of silage is determined by means including a press wheel unit 25 which measures directly the width and thickness of the ribbon of silage on the conveyor 21. The resultant volume measurement is transferred directly to the mechanisms 23 and 26 to control the wright of the corn and protein materials that are discharged onto the conveyor 21.

The ribbon of silage with the batch weights of the corn and protein materials spaced longitudinally thereon are supplied directlyinto the mixing apparatus 15 through an inlet 27 located adjacent the outlet end 28 of the conveyor 21.

The mixing and conveying apparatus 15 (FIGS. 1 and 5) is of an irregular shape in end elevation and includes a pair of end walls 29 interconnected by a continuous side wall 31 to form a housing unit 32 that is mounted on a supporting frame 33. The housing unit 32 includes a bottom section of a semicylindrical shape in end elevation and an upper section 36 of a generally rectangular shape, also in end elevation, which extends laterally from one side of the housing 32. The sections 34 and 36 are connected together by an intermediate tapered section 37 the smaller portion of which is joined with the upper section 36.

Extended longitudinally of the housing unit 32 and over the full distance between the end walls 29 is a con tinuous roller chain conveyor 38 that includes a pair of spaced roller chains 39 interconnected by paddle members 41 spaced longitudinally of the chains 39 and projected laterally in one direction from such chains. The conveyor 38 is trained for travel along the inner surface of the housing side wall 31. For the purpose each of the end walls 29 (FIGS. 5 and 6) over the portions thereof included between the letters A-B is equipped with an inwardly extended roller guides 42 that follows in a spaced relation the adjacent outer edge of an end wall or inner surface of the side wall 31. The spacing is such that a guide 42 and inner surface of the side wall 31 form therebetween a track for guidably supporting a roller chain 39.

The lower section 34 of the housing unit 32 (FIGS. 5 and 7) is provided with a guide member 43 over the portion thereof included between the letters B and C, with the guide member 43 of a generally horizontal V- shape in transverse cross section, having its legs secured to a corresponding end wall 29. The leg 44 which extends inwardly of the housing 32 normal to the plane of an end wall 29 is spaced from the adjacent inner surface of the side wall 31- so as to receive in rolling engagement therebetween a roller chain 39. The

leg 46 of a guide member 43 is inclined downwardly and inwardly from an end wall 29 so as to direct materials supplied through the inlet 27 directly into the path of movement of the paddle members 41.

The conveyor 38 is operated by an electric motor 47 through a speed control unit 48 associated with a conveyor drive shaft 49 (FIG. 8) that is rotatably supported in the end walls 29 at the terminal end of the upper or delivery section 36. A pair of sprockets 51 corresponding to the roller chains 39 are mounted at opposite ends of the drive shaft 49 and located within the housing 32 for operative engagement with the roller chains. The conveyor 38 is moved in a direction such that the length or portion thereof indicated at 52 (FIG. 5) and extended along the lower side 53 of the intermediate section 37 moves in an upward direction into the upper section 36. At the conveyor portion 52 it will be noted that the paddle members 41 project inwardly of the housing 32 in substantially horizontal positions.

It is seen, therefore, that the conveyor 38 is retained adjacent the upper side portion of the housing unit 32 against dropping downwardly into the housing by the guide members 42 and that the guide members 43 extended about the lower side portion of the housing 32 maintain the conveyor 38 against being pulled upwardly into the housing 32. It will be apparent that no guide means, except the side wall 31 of the housing 32 (FIG. 4) is required for the roller chains 39 over the portions thereof extended over the distance indicated between the letters C and D in FIG. 5.

As previously mentioned, the intermediate or tapered section 37 of the housing 32 is inclined upwardly in the direction of the lateral section 36. This inclination is adjustable by means including the pivotal support at 54 (FIGS. 1 and of thehousing 32 on a pair of upright legs 56 projected from and spaced longitudinally of the frame 33. Each end wall 29 at the upper section 36 carries a bracket 57 (FIGS. 3 and 4) formed of an angle iron material having one of its legs 58 extended laterally outwardly from the end wall 29.

' Adjustably secured to the leg 58 is a link member 59,

also of an angle iron construction, having one leg 61 thereof adapted for back to back engagement with the leg58 of the bracket 57. The lower end of a link 59 is pivotally connected at 62 to a lug 63 projected upwardly from the base of the frame 33 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The upper end of the leg 61 (FIG. 4) is formed with a series of holes 64 selectively adapted for alignment with one of the holes 65 formed in the bracket leg 58. Thus on movement of the brackets 57 relative to the links 59, the housing 32 is pivoted relative to the pivot supports 54 to adjust the inclination of the housing lower side 53. This adjusted position is maintained by the insertion of a bolt assembly 70 through, aligned holes in the bracket leg 58 and leg 61 of the link 59.

In the use of the apparatus 15, the materials to be mixed are discharged directly from the belt conveyor 21 into the apparatus inlet 27. and into the'lower section 34 of the housing 32. These materials are supplied at a rate relative to the linear speed of the conveyor 38 such that an accumulation of materials occurs within the lower section 34. In other words, the materials to be mixed should be supplied at a rate so as to accumulate to a height at the bottom of the housing 32 equal to at least two or three times the width of a paddle member 41, as indicated by the dotted-line 71 in FIG. 5. As the paddle members 41 move through the material at the lower side of the housing 32, the materials are piled up ahead of the paddle members so as to project above or outwardly from the upper edge portion 66 of a paddle member 41. As clearly shown in FIG. 9, such outer portion 66 is curved upwardly and rearwardly from the main body of a panel member 41 relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor 38.

As the paddle members 41 move upwardly along the inclined lower side 53 of the housing 32 the excess materials initially moved by a paddle member 41 drop downwardly toward the lower housing section 34. In other words, materials outside of the dimensional confines of a paddle member 41 drop from the paddle member as it progresses upwardly along the inclined lower housing side 53. This dropping action is facilitated by the curved construction of the paddle upper edge portion 66.

It will be understood that this materials release action of a paddle member 41 takes place continuously and progressively for each of the paddle members 41 as it moves upwardly toward the upper housing section 36. As a result, the materials to be mixed are subjected to a continuous tumbling and rolling action during the course of their travels upwardly of the housing lower side 53. It is this tumbling and rolling'action that provides for a thorough mixing together of the materials concurrently with their being elevated in a mixed form into the upper housing section 36 for discharge therefrom through an outlet 67 onto the feed conveyor 17. It will be apparent that if the materials to be mixed are supplied to the inlet 27 at a rate such as to fall onto a free conveyor 38 that they will merely be carried directly, without mixing, into the housing delivery section 36.

In the mixing and conveying operation, therefore, the lower side of the housing side wall 31 functions as the bottom wall of a trough member, the side walls of which are formed by the end walls 29. As a result the conveyor 38 could be trained to travel along the opposite surfaces of the lower portion of the side wall 31 without impairing the effective mixing of the silage with the grain and protein materials.

As previously mentioned it is desirable that an accumulation of the materials to be mixed be maintained within the lower portion of the housing 32. To continuously maintain this accumulation the volume rate of materials supplied by the conveyor 21 should be more than the volume rate of materials being moved by the conveyor 38. If the volume rate of the materials handled by the conveyor 21 greatly exceeds the volume rate of the conveyor 38, the apparatus 15 will become overloaded with a consequent reduction in the efficiency of its mixing function. Likewise, should the volume rate moved by the conveyor 38 greatly exceed the volume rate supplied by the conveyor 21, the materials supplied to the apparatus 15 will tend to be moved directly through the apparatus 15 without any appreciable mixing thereof. To maintain the desired material flow, the speed control unit 48 is provided with a hand control 68 to maintain a linear speed of the conveyor 38 in accordance with the volume flow of material on the conveyor 21.

Also, for varying types of materials, it is desirable to vary the mixing action of the paddle members 41. Thus, the closer the inclined section 53 of the housing 32 approaches a vertical plane, indicated at 69 in FIG. 5,'the more aggressive is the mixing action of the paddle members 41 since more material is dropped from the paddles during their movement upwardly to the housing delivery section 36. Conversely, the greater the angle of inclination between the lower housing side 53 and the vertical plane 69, the less aggressive will be the mixing action of the paddle members 41 and the greater their conveying capacity. For mixing silage with grain and protein materials, an angle of inclination of about twelve degrees works very satisfactorily in effecting an efficient and thorough mixing.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterally extended in an opposite direction from said central section,

c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section,

d. said conveyor including laterally projected lon gitudinally spaced paddle members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions when moving along said inclined central section, and

e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section in direct communication with said conveyor, wherein said conveyor is substantially open in the inward direction of the trough member between adjacent paddle members such that excess portions of said materials supplied to said arcuate lower section are dropped over the inwardly extending edges of said paddle members during travel of said paddle members upwardly on said inclined central section and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section. 2. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising:

a. a frame means,

b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterally extended in an opposite direction from said central section,

c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section,

d. said conveyor including laterally projected longitudinally spaced paddle v members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions,

e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section, said materials moved by said paddle members with excess portions thereof dropped over the outer edges of said paddle members during travel thereof upwardly on said inclinedsection and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section,

f. means pivotally connecting said lower section to said frame means for pivotal movement of said trough member about an axis extended transversely thereof, and

g. adjustable means connected to said frame means and said upper section for varying the inclination of said central section.

3. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising:

a. a frame means, b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an

upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterally extended in an opposite direction from said central section,

c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section,

d. said conveyor including laterally projected longitudinally spaced paddle members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions,

e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section, said materials moved by said paddle members with excess portions thereof dropped over the outer edges of said paddle members during travel thereof upwardly on said inclined section and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section,

f. a cover means for said trough member forming therewith an enclosed housing,

g. an outlet for said materials mixture in the lower side of an upper section,

h. an inlet for said materials in a side wall portion of said lower section,

i. means in said housing supporting said conveyor for movement in one direction longitudinally of said trough member and for movement in a reverse direction along the inner surface of said cover means,

j. a transverse drive shaft for said conveyor at the terminal end of said upper section, and

k. a motor means on said frame means in operative association with said drive shaft.

4. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising:

a. a housing including a pair of end walls and a continuous side wall extended between and connected to said end walls,

b. said side wall including an upwardly inclined mixing portion, a discharge portion extended laterally outwardly from the upper end of said inclined portion, and a material collecting portion of an upwardly curved shape extended from the lower end of said inclined portion,

0. an endless conveyor positioned between said end walls including a pair of transversely spaced chains and paddle members connected to said chains,

d. means training said conveyor for travel along the inner surface of said side wall,

e. motor means moving said conveyor for travel upwardly along said inclined portion of the side wall, the paddle members at said inclined portion projected inwardly of said housing in substantially horizontal positions, and

f. a materials inlet in one of said end walls,

g. with materials from said inlet received on said collecting portion of the side wall being concurrently moved by said paddle members along said inclined portion with excess portions thereof tumbled downwardly from said paddle members for return to said collecting portion whereby only a mixture of said materials is conveyed to said discharge portion of the side wall. 

1. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising: a. a frame means, b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterally extended in an opposite direction from said central section, c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section, d. said conveyor including laterally projected longitudinally spaced paddle members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions when moving along said inclined central section, and e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section in direct communication with said conveyor, wherein said conveyor is substantially open in the inward direction of the trough member between adjacent paddle members such that excess portions of said materials supplied to said arcuate lower section are dropped over the inwardly extending edges of said paddle members during travel of said paddle members upwardly on said inclined central section and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section.
 2. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising: a. a frame means, b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterAlly extended in an opposite direction from said central section, c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section, d. said conveyor including laterally projected longitudinally spaced paddle members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions, e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section, said materials moved by said paddle members with excess portions thereof dropped over the outer edges of said paddle members during travel thereof upwardly on said inclined section and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section, f. means pivotally connecting said lower section to said frame means for pivotal movement of said trough member about an axis extended transversely thereof, and g. adjustable means connected to said frame means and said upper section for varying the inclination of said central section.
 3. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising: a. a frame means, b. a trough member mounted on said frame means having an upwardly inclined central section, an upper section laterally extended in one direction from said central section, and an upwardly facing arcuate lower section laterally extended in an opposite direction from said central section, c. a continuous conveyor movable along the bottom wall of said trough member having a length thereof movable upwardly of said inclined section, d. said conveyor including laterally projected longitudinally spaced paddle members extended transversely of said trough member, said paddle members on said conveyor length being in substantially horizontal positions, e. means for supplying materials to be mixed into said arcuate lower section, said materials moved by said paddle members with excess portions thereof dropped over the outer edges of said paddle members during travel thereof upwardly on said inclined section and then moved by following paddle members to provide for the mixing of said materials concurrently with the conveying of the materials mixture to said upper section, f. a cover means for said trough member forming therewith an enclosed housing, g. an outlet for said materials mixture in the lower side of an upper section, h. an inlet for said materials in a side wall portion of said lower section, i. means in said housing supporting said conveyor for movement in one direction longitudinally of said trough member and for movement in a reverse direction along the inner surface of said cover means, j. a transverse drive shaft for said conveyor at the terminal end of said upper section, and k. a motor means on said frame means in operative association with said drive shaft.
 4. A material mixing and conveying apparatus comprising: a. a housing including a pair of end walls and a continuous side wall extended between and connected to said end walls, b. said side wall including an upwardly inclined mixing portion, a discharge portion extended laterally outwardly from the upper end of said inclined portion, and a material collecting portion of an upwardly curved shape extended from the lower end of said inclined portion, c. an endless conveyor positioned between said end walls including a pair of transversely spaced chains and paddle members connected to said chains, d. means training said conveyor for travel along the inner surface of said side wall, e. motor means moving said conveyor for travel upwardly along said inclined portion of the side wall, the paddle members at said inclined portion projected inwardly of said housing in substantially horizontal positions, and f. a materials inlet in one of said end walls, g. with materials from said inlet received on said collecting pOrtion of the side wall being concurrently moved by said paddle members along said inclined portion with excess portions thereof tumbled downwardly from said paddle members for return to said collecting portion whereby only a mixture of said materials is conveyed to said discharge portion of the side wall. 